Deadly Florida Bicycle Accident Prompts FDOT to Add Bike Lanes

People who like to ride their bicycles, or need to ride them to get to work, have to ride their bicycles in traffic. Although bicycles are considered vehicles in Florida, they travel slower, are less visible, and cyclists are more vulnerable. This is why bikes lanes are helpful in separating traffic and keeping cyclists safe. Unfortunately, bike lanes aren’t always available.

Because bike lanes aren’t on every road, cyclists are forced to travel close to heavy, fast-moving motor vehicles—putting cyclists at risk for Florida bicycle accidents. Recently, a fatal bicycle accident occurred on Clearwater Memorial Causeway. The driver of a pickup truck struck a tandem bicycle that Robert W. Lemon, 25, and girlfriend Hilary C. Michalak, 27, were riding on the eastbound shoulder of the causeway.

Sadly, both Lemon and Michalak were killed by the hit-and-run driver in this Labor Day crash. As a result, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) now plans to install bike lanes on the causeway in order to make the road safer for bicyclists. According to spokeswoman Kristen Carson, FDOT plans on painting bicycle symbols along the paved shoulder, officially designating the shoulder a bike lane.

Unfortunately, this change comes too late for Lemon and Michalak. However, state officials are hoping that the extra symbols and signs will alert drivers to safely share the road with bicycles. That will hopefully add some security for cyclists and prevent other Florida bicycle accidents on that stretch of the road.

The Mallard Law Firm is saddened to hear of these fatalities, and would like to wish the family and friends affected by this crash our deepest sympathies.

If you have been injured, or your loved one has been killed in a Florida bike accident, please contact an experienced Sarasota bicycle accident attorney at the Mallard Law Firm. Call us today for a free initial consultation at 888-409-3805.